Printing Supplies
By Maxim Computer Services
Maxim provides a variety of printing supplies and consumables for all leading models of thermal and line matrix printers, with competitive prices and delivery to any UK address.
Printing Supplies We Offer
There are five main categories of printing supplies we offer. Take a look below to find out more.
Thermal Printer Ribbons
Thermal printer ribbon, or thermal transfer ribbon (TTR) is a crucial component in many label printing applications, responsible for transferring ink directly onto a substrate. The thermal ribbon consists of an antistatic PET back coat or release layer coated with a wax or resin base ink layer, or alternatively, a hybrid wax and resin base ink. As the printhead heats up within the ribbon assembly, the ink layer melts and transfers the text, image or barcode to the printed substrate.
We stock a wide variety of genuine-branded and generic thermal ribbons of all quality grades and levels of durability, from economy wax to speciality resins, including ribbons with specialist qualities such as solvent or oil resistance.
The type of ribbon you’ll need depends on the application and the type of label you’re printing. We work with a range of leading print brands, including Zebra, Toshiba, TSC, Armor, and Honeywell, to provide the highest quality wax ribbons, resin ribbons, and wax-resin ribbons, at the best prices.
Matching the right ribbon to the right label is key to producing the best results, so our experienced team can help you make the best choice of product, ensuring the appropriate quality and compatibility with your printer.
Printronix Cartridge Ribbons For Line Matrix Printers
Multi-packs of genuine-branded Printronix cartridge ribbons are available for immediate dispatch and are suitable for the P8000 and P7000 series of Printronix line matrix printers. Printronix cartridge ribbons provide excellent and uniform print quality at a low cost per page, making them an economical choice for a variety of commercial printing applications.
Desktop Printers
Thermal transfer labels are paper or synthetic substrates specifically designed for thermal transfer printing, such as address labels, packaging labels, inventory labels, stock location labels and more, creating a long-lasting, durable image.
Thermal labels are perfect for:
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Overprinted labels
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Barcodes and QR labels
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Tamper-evident labels
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Environmentally sensitive labels, e.g. high-temperature and humidity-resistant labels
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Specialist labels requirements e.g. resistance to chemicals, oils, solvents and other substances
Direct thermal label printing uses a heat-sensitive paper substrate, which turns black when heated, creating the desired text or image. This fast and cost-effective print method does not require separate ink, toner, or thermal ribbons, making it an excellent option for straightforward in-house label printing requirements. As direct thermal labels are heat-sensitive, they are not suitable for exposure to sunlight and are designed for short-term labelling applications. They are most commonly used by couriers and distribution centres for printing high-volume shipping and address labels.
Direct thermal labels are perfect for:
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Stock ID labels
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Receipts
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Barcodes and QR labels
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Custom e.g. batch codes, use by dates etc.
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Food packaging
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Address labels and shipping information
With an extensive range of genuine-branded labels available from leading printer brands, and a custom-produced range of materials, sizes, and adhesives, Maxim provides all you need to produce simple labels in-house for various purposes that are durable, reliable, and easy to read.
Thermal Print Heads
Thermal printheads use heat to create an image or text and are designed to print directly onto thermal paper, or onto various media through a thermal transfer ribbon. In thermal transfer printing, the printhead heats up a wax or resin base ink on a ribbon, which is then transferred onto the label substrate, whereas in direct thermal printing, only specific areas of a heat-sensitive paper substrate are heated up, causing it to darken and form the required text or image.
Thermal printheads feature numerous tiny heating elements or dots arranged across their width, and the more dots a printhead has per millimetre, the higher the printing quality. If these tiny elements fail, this causes areas of missing print.
Worn print heads can cause missing print and render barcodes unreadable, even if these printing mistakes are invisible to the human eye. Barcode mistakes can lead to fines in certain automotive and manufacturing sectors, so it’s really important to regularly check, clean and replace printheads. Some sites may utilise a barcode validation system to spot and eliminate bad barcodes at the source.
We offer a range of high-quality thermal print heads suitable for all leading brands of thermal printers. If you are concerned about replacing a critical component yourself, we also offer a full print head fitting and replacement service. Please contact us on
01543 396773 to enquire about an onsite fitting.
Platten Rollers
Platen rollers are cylindrical rubber rollers used in thermal label printers in conjunction with the printhead to provide a surface against which the printhead presses to transfer an image or text onto a label, or other substrate. As the printhead heats up and applies the image onto the media, the platen roller helps to evenly distribute the pressure and ensure a crisp and even print quality across the entire width of the substrate.
Depending on your print application and volume, some platens will wear out quicker than others. Worn platens will result in faint, patchy print and it’s vital to replace them as needed to ensure good print quality.
We supply a range of genuine, high-quality replacement platen rollers that are compatible with a variety of printer makes and models, as well as repair kits to extend the life of your existing rollers. Brands of platen rollers we can supply include Zebra, TSC/Printronix, Honeywell, Datamax, and Toshiba to name a few.
Find Out More
For the widest choice of manufacturer-approved thermal printing supplies for all leading models of commercial thermal printers, please get in touch with Maxim Computer Services today. To find out more or to place an order, simply send us a message, and one of our team will be in touch shortly.
Value-Added Services
Our team provide a wide range of value-added services to help you secure maximum uptime and value from your printers. These include competitively priced maintenance contracts, fixed-price repairs, and breakdown services, giving you all the hardware support services you need under one roof, without having to deal with multiple suppliers.